Clarence Penn: "Monk, The Lost Files"

When asked in a recent interview what music meant to him, Clarence Penn replied, "I mean, music for me is existence. It's life. It's everything to me...All the good and the bad, like life."Penn, a native of Detroit, might best be known for his versatility and sensitivity as a drummer, having performed and recorded with a diverse range of artists in and around the jazz world: Betty Carter, Maria Schneider, Michael Brecker, Ellis and Wynton Marsalis, Luciana Souza, and many others. His latest recording as a leader, Dali in Cobble Hill (2012), features an all-star cast comprised of Chris Potter, Adam Rogers, and Ben Street, and he is planning to release a new album in the near future that will feature the music of Thelonious Monk.Read more about Clarence Penn and his Monk project here.Clarence Penn performs at The Jazz Gallery this Saturday, August 3rd, with Gregoire Maret (harmonica), Chad Lefkowitz-Brown (tenor saxophone), Gerald Clayton (piano), and Yasushi Nakamura (bass). Sets at 9 and 10:30 p.m., $20 general admission and FREE for Members and SummerPass holders. Purchase tickets here.